Indian Kitchen Zoning — Claude Code Skill

This repository contains a Claude Code skill for designing functionally correct Indian kitchen layouts using behavioural zoning instead of aesthetics.

The skill is designed for real Indian homes — with domestic help, kids, heavy cooking, fixed doors, and long-term usability constraints.

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What this skill does

• Classifies kitchen elements by behaviour, not looks
• Assigns each item to a strict functional zone
• Enforces non‑negotiable placement rules
• Generates wall‑aligned ASCII layouts
• Explains why something must or must not move

This is a decision system, not a design generator.

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When Claude auto-loads this skill

Claude should automatically load this skill when the user asks about:

• Kitchen remodeling or renovation
• Appliance placement (microwave, mixie, stove, dishwasher)
• Pantry location or storage confusion
• Workflow issues in Indian kitchens
• Designing for kids, domestic help, or heavy cooking
• Questions like:
  • “Where should the microwave go?”
  • “My kitchen feels chaotic, what’s wrong?”
  • “How do I separate dry and wet areas?”
  • “Where should the pantry be in an Indian kitchen?”

The skill should not auto-load for:

• Interior decoration or styling
• Material or colour selection
• Non-kitchen spaces

Core assumptions (important)

The skill always assumes:

• One ENTRY door from living or dining
• One EXIT door to wash / utility
• Door positions are fixed
• All counters and appliances live on walls
• The center is circulation, not function

If these assumptions are not true, the skill will ask for clarification.

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Zoning model

The kitchen is divided into the following zones:

PRIMARY DRY WALL

Calm, me‑only, kitchen‑functional ritual work
Examples: coffee maker, cutting station, juicer, toaster

UTILITY COUNTER

Visit‑only, kid‑safe, no prep
Examples: microwave

COOKING / WET ZONE

Mess‑tolerant, maid‑friendly
Examples: stove, mixie, grinder, sink

ENCLOSED WET

Sealed wet appliances
Examples: dishwasher

TALL STORAGE

Vertical, no counter ownership
Examples: fridge, pantry

RITUAL SURFACE (NON‑WORK)

Me‑only, no appliances
Examples: bar

SHARED / UNSTABLE

Optional surfaces
Examples: island

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What this skill does NOT do

• No visual renders
• No aesthetic or material advice
• No multiple layout options for the same constraints
• No "designer intuition" overrides

Correctness is preferred over choice.

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File structure

indian-kitchen-zoning/
│
├── SKILL.md                # Required by Claude Code
├── README.md               # This file
└── examples/
    ├── u-shaped-kitchen-kids-maid.md
    └── l-shaped-kitchen-no-island.md

Only SKILL.md is executed by Claude. Everything else is for human understanding.

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How to use

1. Place the folder under:

   ~/.claude/skills/indian-kitchen-zoning/
   

2. Start a Claude Code session.

3. Invoke the skill explicitly:

   /indian-kitchen-zoning
   

   Or let Claude auto‑load it when you ask about:

   • kitchen remodels
   • appliance placement
   • pantry / microwave / mixie confusion
   • Indian cooking workflows

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Why this exists

Most kitchen remodels fail because:

• Mess spreads into calm zones
• Domestic help workflows dominate everything
• Kids and safety are afterthoughts
• Designers optimise for photos, not life

This skill encodes lived behaviour so the kitchen stays usable for years.

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License

MIT — feel free to adapt, extend, or reuse.